Expendable
by NinjagoGeek4EVER
Summary: What happens when a hero falls? What happens when the hero's worst enemy is released again? What happens when the expendable one accidentally fakes his death and decides to roll with it? (K because paranoia)
1. Part 1: Accidental Sacrifice

**A/N: Welp, here I am. The not-very-well-known NG back with another Ninjago fanfiction! (Well, obviously.)**

**This is just an idea I had a while ago that I decided to do. Hope you guys enjoy me messing around with Jay!**

**Part 1- Accidental Sacrifice**

"So… what do we do now?" Kai asked, staring at the monster that was currently attacking the city. No one was sure how the thing got released, but it seemed particularly keen on destroying anything and everything in its path. The ninja had tried just about everything they could think of.

"I think our best option is to get this thing out of the city and then kill it," Lloyd replied.

And so they ran, attempting to catch the monster's attention. The monster noticed after they had sprinted two or three blocks and followed.

Jay tripped. Rolling over, he found himself face-to-face with the monster. In a panic, he launched Lightning at it. The monster flinched, screeching.

"You don't like that, do you?" Jay exclaimed as he pulled his hand back. "Well, take this!"

He summoned his Element, trying it to its fullest. The monster screeched, backed into a building, and collapsed. Jay didn't relent until the thing took its last breath.

Gasping, Jay looked around. In the fight, he lost track of which way his team went. He ran down the street to his left, hoping he was right.

* * *

The ninja stood outside the city, gasping. They watched, waiting for the monster to show. Then Nya glanced around wildly.

"Where's Jay?" She asked in alarm. The others looked around only to find the Blue Ninja no longer with them.

"Oh no," Cole gasped. "You don't think..?"

The five ninja ran back into the city and, after some searching, found the monster dead.

"Electrocuted to death," Zane whispered. "Jay's work, certainly."

"So, where is Jay?" Lloyd asked.

Zane's eyes went slightly dim, showing that he was looking for something online. "Cameras show that Jay tripped, then the monster approached him and…"

"And what, Zane?" Kai asked, worried.

"…and… no more sign of him," Zane whispered, looking down in grief. "The monster was electrocuted, but Jay doesn't show on the cameras upon tripping."

"That means that…" Nya whispered, looking at the monster. "Jay…"

"Jay's gone," Cole whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek.

* * *

Jay stood on the roof of a building in the city, scanning the sky for the Bounty. Surely the others had realized his absence by then. Then a screen grabbed his attention. Breaking news was about the defeat of the monster, though the headline was what surprised him.

_**Blue Ninja Dies In Battle**_

_What does this mean for those who remain?_

With a start he realized he accidentally faked his death.

_They always called me "the expendable one,"_ he thought. _I'm going to prove that I'm not. Just you wait. You'll see that I'm just as valuable as Lloyd and Zane._

**A/N: Welp, that's that chapter.**

**Reviews are appreciated as always! (Then again, I'm one to talk...)**

**~NG**


	2. Part 2: Lost in Grief

**A/N: A week already?! Time sure flies**

**Hope you enjoy the latest chapter of Expendable!**

**Part 2- Lost in Grief**

Already, the Monastery seemed too quiet. When the ninja returned home, they found Wu and Pixal waiting in silent grief. Not much was said, but everyone was thinking the same thing.

Even in a state of grief, Jay would at least add sound to the deathly silence that engulfed the team.

Dinner passed in near silence, with only a single comment from Kai about how Jay would be able to liven even this up.

The Monastery seemed empty without Jay cracking a terrible joke. It seemed far too quiet without Jay's contagious laughter. Too still without Jay's almost maniacal energy.

Too calm, too silent, too empty without Jay.

* * *

The news was exploding with how the death of one of Ninjago's heroes brought people closer than really ever before. Most of the online fan clubs were raising money for the Walker family, Jay's parents. Others were raising memorial funds. A few were even doing stuff to raise money for the ninja.

It was a heartwarming thing. Well, that's was Ronin's thought as he watched the news. It hadn't even been a full day and people were already offering support. To Jay's family. To each other. To the remaining ninja.

"I need your help."

Ronin stood and turned to face the person behind him, ready to give the intruder a lecture about the importance of knocking, only to gasp and grip the top of his chair in alarm. There was no mistaking his electric blue eyes, his kind of long wavy hair, his freckles, and especially his ridiculous grin that could rival even the sun in brightness.

It was Jay. Standing right in front of him. Alive and well.

"Y-you're supposed to be _dead_!" Ronin exclaimed.

Jay laughed. "So I've heard," he chuckled.

"You mean you _faked_ your death?!"

"Not intentionally, and keep it down, will ya? I don't want anyone to know."

Standing up straight, Ronin rubbed his face with his hands. "You're alive," he whispered. "And you're not telling your team? The people you call your _brothers_? You're not telling your parents, girlfriend, mentor, no one?"

"No one," Jay confirmed. "No one, that is, except for you. Now, I need you to get some stuff for me. I've already got a list. A long sleeved shirt, jeans, socks, shoes, fingerless gloves, and hair dye, all of those black. I'm also gonna need hair gel, a blue bandana, and a vengestone bracelet, if you think you can manage all that."

"Do you think you can write that down?"

Jay handed Ronin a list, with all of his requested items, as well as a bag of coins.

"Life savings," Jay explained. "Been hiding it for a while. I'm giving you a hundred to get the supplies and another two hundred to keep quiet. Official story is that you're buying all this for a friend who was a huge fan of mine and is devastated by my death."

"Your secret is safe with me."

**A/N: I enjoyed writing Jay and Ronin's interaction here WAY too much...**

**Review!**

**~NG**


	3. Part 3: Fallen Hero

**A/N: Wow! Chapter three already? Time flies, doesn't it?**

**Hope you enjoy the latest chapter of Expendable.**

**Part 3- Fallen Hero**

The Monastery was still sitting in silence. Empty, cold, dark, hopeless silence. If one were to visit, they wouldn't even hear the residents breathing.

Lloyd was sitting on his bed, hands clasped in his lap, thinking about his fallen brother.

Kai was checking his social media, searching for comfort from the fans.

Nya was tinkering with something in her room, silent tears on her face.

Cole was busy beating up a training dummy, pretending it was the monster that killed his best friend.

Zane stared at pictures of Jay for hours, not even sleeping, refusing to forget.

Pixal kept Jay's stuff in top condition, knowing it was how he liked it.

Wu sat in his room, meditating, thinking of the fallen Blue Ninja.

And this was the scene the mailman walked in on. He was simply doing his daily routes, and of course the ninja had mail. But rather than the typical gushy "We love you, ninja!" letters he normally delivered to them, they were sympathetic "We share in your grief," letters.

Cole answered the door, his knuckles bleeding, the dummy in pieces behind him. Silently, the mailman handed the Earth Ninja the letters and, in the same silence, Cole accepted.

Silence was the plague in the Monastery, and the only cure was for the Blue Ninja to come back from the dead.

* * *

"You sure about this?" Ronin asked when Jay had finished putting on the supplies.

He was unrecognizable. He had dyed his hair black and used the hair gel to slick it back. He had slipped out of his gi and into his requested outfit. Where he once donned bright blue, he now only wore black. Except his bandana. The only blue he still wore. He would truly be someone else, if it hadn't been for his eyes. His bright, electric blue eyes.

"I'm certain," Jay replied. "Now if anyone asks, I can just say that I was a huge Jay fan, and am just devastated by his death!"

"You sound way too happy about this."

Jay waited a beat before answering. "They've made plenty of cracks at me being, and I quote, 'the expendable one.' I'm sorry, I just… is that all I am? The expendable one? I… I guess… those jokes have kinda gotten under my skin. I just want to be a valuable member of the team, and not just the crash dummy, I guess."

Ronin stopped to think on Jay's confession. While it was true the ninja always had a friendly banter going on when they were in public, they always did seem to make jokes of Jay being the expendable one.

_No wonder he doesn't want to face his team yet, _Ronin thought. _He doesn't realize just what kind of effect he has on them._

**A/N: Welp, that was fun. Jay angst with Ronin was WAY too much fun.**

**Story goes pretty much downhill in writing from here, so enjoy this while you can.**

**Review!**

**~NG**


	4. Part 4: The Djinn's Return

**A/N: Wow. Another week come and gone. This week was crazy busy, but I'm not complaining.**

**I saw Frozen II twice this week. I personally think it's better than the original, but that's just me.**

**Anyway, enjoy the latest chapter of Expendable!**

**Part 4- The Djinn's Return**

The phone rang, disrupting the silence and startling everyone. On the second ring, Kai picked it up, his voice gravelly with disuse, and filled with hopelessness

"Can we help you?"

"Hey, ninja," came the crisp, clear voice of Misako. "I know how hard losing Jay may be, but a new shipment of stuff came in for the museum, and we were wondering if you would like to help unpack?"

"Not that we have anything else to do," Kai commented. "Alright."

"See you, say, 'round four?"

"Sounds good."

Kai told his teammates about the call, and they all agreed to leave around three-forty five to get to the city on time. The city Jay gave his life to save.

Silence fell over the Monastery once again, reminding everyone that no one can escape its grasp.

* * *

Jay wandered around the city, eyes closed, smiling under his bandana. He had gotten many sympathetic looks, comments, and pats on the shoulders. His disguise was working. Everyone assumed he was a huge fan of Jay, and not the presumed dead Lightning Ninja.

He bumped into someone and glanced up to see Lloyd, face stricken with grief. Jay looked down, hoping Lloyd didn't see his eyes. The one thing he didn't change.

"You're a Jay fan, aren't you?" Lloyd asked, sighing in defeat. Jay nodded, not daring to say anything. "You have my empathy. See you, stranger."

Jay watched as Lloyd joined with the other ninja, the five looking like prisoners with a death sentence. And they may as well have been, for they were prisoners of grief. Shaking his head, Jay continued on his way.

But he would never forget Lloyd's look of hopelessness.

* * *

Once inside the museum, the ninja quickly found Misako. Her eyes held grief, just like the rest of Ninjago. "Glad to see you seven made it."

"Yeah," Kai sighed. "We think it's a miracle we can even still get up in the morning."

Misako nodded. "We'll all miss him," she said, eyes glistening with tears.

"Indeed," Wu sighed.

Silence fell on the group, all lost in memory. It was only broken when someone asked when they would get started unpacking. No one really realized who had asked, and no one really cared.

The unpacking was done without chitchat, only questions of where something went and answers to those questions. That is, until Lloyd opened another box and found something inside. A teapot. "That was found in Stiix," Misako explained. "I'm not sure why the museum wanted it."

Lloyd noticed the markings on the thing and rearranged them so they lined up. Nya walked in to get another relic as dark orange smoke came out of the teapot. She gasped and grabbed Lloyd right arm and Misako's left. A humanoid figure appeared in front of them, and Nya shuddered as he looked around.

"How long has it been?" he asked as the other ninja came in.

Everyone looked at each other, confused, as Nya said, "Two years." Everyone stared at her, including the djinn.

"You," he said. "You remember."

Nya nodded in confirmation.

"Does everyone in this realm remember?"

Nya shook her head.

"You seem familiar…" Nadakan commented before snapping his fingers. "Of course. If, as you say, it has been two years, you might've changed in that time. Yes, I see it. You are the Water Ninja, Nya. And there. The Green Ninja, Lloyd. And the others, yes, I remember them well. But, I must inquire, where is the Blue Ninja of Lightning, Jay?"

The group looked down, some closing their eyes. The sudden silence and expressions of grief were all the answer Nadakan needed.

"If that is all…" Nadakan said, "I must leave. Good chat." And with that, he literally poofed away.

"Bounty, now," Nya practically ordered. "And stay together. There's something w- I haven't told you."

**A/N: Well, that was interesting writing stuff. Insert feeling that I'm really rushing the story...**

**Reveiw!**

**~NG**


	5. Part 5: Just One Drop

**A/N: First day of December. The holiday season is officially here for me (because I have to wait until Thanksgiving before I really get into the spirit).**

**I played my first ever D&D campaign yesterday. We (my DM and I) had a little too much fun with it.**

**Enjoy the latest Expedable chapter!**

**Part 5- Just One Drop**

"Explanation, please?" Kai demanded of his sister once they were in the sky, over the ocean, heading only Nya knew where.

"Gather everyone," Nya told her brother. "I'll explain as much as I can, but only once."

And so everyone gathered on the bridge. Questions flew and Nya answered to the best of her ability. Those on board knew this much before the Q/A session: Only Nya and Jay really knew this new enemy, and Nya was their only hope for defeating him, seeing as Jay was no longer with them.

The questions started fairly basic. Things like, "Why Jay, specifically?" and, "Why don't we remember anything about this?" Nya, as promised, answered every question to the best of her ability. Then questions started getting more complex.

"You said he first came two years ago," Zane stated. "What point two years ago?"

"When Clouse was seen heading to Stiix," Nya answered.

"Meaning Pixal was still in Zane's head, and I was still a ghost," Cole said, eyes widening in alarm. Nya nodded.

"How did we defeat him last time?" Lloyd asked.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to ask that," Nya sighed. "The true answer is: we didn't. Not really. It has to do with where we're going now. The only reason he didn't take over last time is because Jay wished the whole thing never happened. The only way he could do that was with a very special and deadly poison: tiger widow venom. Just one drop can kill a person, or weaken a djinn."

"Well that's terrifying," Cole muttered. "And this venom is his _only_ weakness?"

"As far as I know, yes."

Stunned silence fell on the group as an island came into view. "Now, remember this," Nya called. "When you're on this island, _stay off the sand_."

"Wait, why?" Cole called as Nya flew the Bounty over the beach, over a rickety bridge, and near a crevice where she dropped anchor. The group of seven slid down the chain.

"So, how do we get the venom?" Lloyd asked. "Any pointers?"

Nya pulled out a package of regular office papers. "Jay used a book last time," she explained. "I figured this would work just as well.

"Wait, we sent _Jay_ in to get this stuff?!" Kai exclaimed. "Why?!"

"You actually weren't there," Nya told her brother. "At the point we were getting this stuff, you had already fallen to Nadakan. Same thing with Zane, Master Wu, and Misako. It was just me, Cole, Lloyd, and Jay."

"Okay, so _you_ three sent him in… _Why_?!"

"In retrospect, it was kinda stupid…" Nya answered, scratching the back of her head. "We were mad at him because he made a couple wishes with Nadakan and didn't tell us. Again, really stupid in retrospect."

"So Jay got the stuff last time?" Cole asked.

Nya nodded, then understood what Cole was getting at. Jay got the venom last time. Jay was dead now. Everyone else seemed to realize this at the same time Nya did, and an argument broke out. Nya knew they wouldn't let her go in, and she frankly didn't really want to. She shuddered as she rubbed the place where the venom had struck her last time.

Misako and Wu were both saying they should go in because they were both old and dying anyway.

Cole and Lloyd were saying how they should go in because it was their duty to protect Ninjago.

Zane and Pixal were saying they were nindroids, and the most logical choice for something like this.

Eventually fed up with the fighting, Nya shouted for everyone to shut up. Everyone went silent almost immediately.

"As much as I hate to say it," Nya sighed, "Zane and Pixal have the best argument. They might be able to withstand the tiger widow venom. But _be careful_, you two. We don't know _what_ that stuff might do to you."

The nindroids nodded in understanding as Pixal took the papers from Nya and asked what they were for.

"The fangs only come out when the thing is ready to bite," the Water Ninja explained. "Jay used a book to hold the fangs out so he could get the venom."

"That makes sense," Zane commented.

"Good luck, you two," Nya said.

**A/N: And... you can probably guess.**

**I apologize in advance if the next chapter feels really rushed...**

**Reveiw!**

**~NG**


	6. Part 6: The Last Battle

**A/N: Another week come and gone. Time sure does fly, doesn't it?**

**This is the bad chapter. Don't say I didn't warn you.**

**Part 6- The Last Battle**

Zane and Pixal returned with the venom without a hitch and the trip back to Ninjago was extremely uneventful.

Meanwhile, Jay was watching the city from a skyscraper rooftop. It was peaceful and united, with so many of the population wearing black and/or blue in honor of him. Banners and signs hung from windows showed his face, or his hood with only his eyes showing, with the caption, "#NeverForget."

He loved every second of it. He had always been the expendable one, and the people were unwittingly proving that wrong.

Lloyd's unforgettable forlorn look again flashed through Jay's mind. He had last seen it filled with determination, and joy before that. To see such a hopeless look on his little brother broke him. It broke him more than Nadakan did the first time around. It broke him more than losing Nya ever could. Because he never intended for this to happen. He wanted to tell his team he was alive, but what would he say? He didn't know why he was even hiding it.

"_Send someone expendable, like Jay."_ Kai's voice echoed through Jay's head, all taunts of him being "the expendable one." _Someone expendable, like Jay._ Like _Jay_.

He hated it. He never told anyone, but he hated being the expendable one.

He heard the roar of the Bounty's engine and watched as it dropped anchor. Curious, he followed his former teammates.

* * *

"Nadakan," Nya declared, standing defensively in front of the team.

"Ah, hello there, Nya," the djinn chuckled. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten."

"This ends now!"

"So be it."

The two charged each other, Nya shouting a battle cry. The others moved to follow when a black-clothed arm blocked their way. They turned to see a stranger dressed in black, with a blue bandana concealing his face.

"Don't," he said. "This is her fight."

Nya noticed the stranger as well and made eye contact for a brief moment. Her deep blue eyes were met with electric blue ones. Jay's eyes, she realized.

Jay was alive.

Turning back to Nadakan, Nya fought harder, eventually overcoming the djinn. She pulled out the canteen that Zane and Pixal had put the venom in, opened it, chucked it, and backed off.

Nadakan was covered with the bright green poison. One drop weakened him. A whole canteen quickly overcame him.

Within seconds, the last djinn was dead.

**A/N: I warned you it was bad. A downgrade from my normal writing for sure...**

**Review!**

**~NG**


	7. Part 7: I Remember

**A/N: Last chapter! Not sure how you guys will feel about this...**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Part 7- I Remember**

Nya turned back to the others to see Jay, disguised as a Jay fan, heading off into a nearby alleyway. Holding up her index finger to tell them to wait for her, she followed him.

"I know it's you, Jay," she told him, softly, once they were out of earshot. The Blue Ninja turned, acting sheepish.

"Don't be mad?" he chuckled.

Nya could hardly believe it. Jay was _alive_, but he wasn't telling anyone.

"Does anyone else know?" she asked.

"Only Ronin," Jay answered. "I needed someone who wouldn't tell anyone."

Nya nodded, understanding. "Jay…"

"If you're going to ask me to return to the team…" Jay sighed, trying to find the right words. How does one say goodbye to the one they love? "Don't tell the others, please? I mean… I guess I don't really want to go back, not yet. I mean, all this, all this, Nya, am I just the expendable one?"

"Oh, Jay," Nya sighed, a sad sound coming from the back of her throat. "_No one_ on the team is expendable. Except for maybe my brother, but the fans would be furious if I said that in public."

Jay chuckled.

"But it's not the same without you, Jay. It's too quiet. No one really talks anymore. Laughter feels like a distant memory. We _need_ you, Jay. _I_ need you."

Jay suddenly looked forlorn. He reached for the end of his sleeve. Pulling it back, he revealed a vengestone bracelet. Nya stared at it unsure of what to think.

"I've given it all up," Jay sighed. "But I'll never give you up. When all this… when the turmoil is over… I'll come back so we can have our happily ever after."

The rain started falling, quickly turning into a downpour.

"I love you, Nya Smith."

And with that, Jay left. She smiled ever so softly, but also in a sad way.

"I love you too, Jay Walker."

* * *

Nya approached the rest of the team, all waiting for her.

"We'll see the stranger again," she declared.

The others looked at each other. "How do you know?" Kai asked.

Nya smiled. "Just call it a hunch."

**A/N: Yes, Jay doesn't go back to the others. Yes, Nya knows that Jay's alive. Yes, the others don't know.**

**Review!**

**~NG**


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